Evidence of meeting #127 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was pricing.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
Okay, thank you.
You've seen the scheme that was announced yesterday. Is that tax, at $50 per tonne by 2022, sufficient to meet our Paris targets as a country?
4:05 p.m.
Representative, Canadian Council on Renewable Electricity
Is it the fuel charge that you're—
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
No, I'm talking about the tax that was announced yesterday on the four provinces that won't impose a carbon tax, on which the Prime Minister has now chosen to impose a carbon tax.
Will that, coupled with all of the other carbon taxation or carbon pricing across the country, be sufficient for us to hit our Paris targets?
4:05 p.m.
Representative, Canadian Council on Renewable Electricity
It's a complex question. The way I would frame the response is that it's the intent of the pan-Canadian framework to combine a suite of different policy, regulatory and investment actions together to work toward that 30% reduction. Carbon pricing is an important part of that.
The fuel charge, which is the tax element of the suite of carbon pricing, creates an incentive for some of the lowest-hanging fruit to be offset. If it is less expensive for an emitter to not emit, then they will do so. If it's more expensive for them to pay the charge, then they won't.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
Let me rephrase the question. It won't be specific to the carbon tax that was announced yesterday.
Regarding the plan that the government has put forward, with the elements contained in it so far, are those elements sufficient for us to meet our Paris Agreement targets?
4:05 p.m.
Representative, Canadian Council on Renewable Electricity
I believe that they have the potential to do so, yes.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
No, I was not asking about potential. Will we meet our Paris targets based on what's in there right now?
I think you know the answer. I think you're being a little coy with me here, but go ahead.
4:05 p.m.
Representative, Canadian Council on Renewable Electricity
To the extent that I can tell the future, I think the answer is “probably”. That's as close to a yes or no as I can give to you.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
Are you aware that the government has filed documentation with the IPCC, or the UNFCCC, that indicates we're going to fall well short of our targets?
4:05 p.m.
Representative, Canadian Council on Renewable Electricity
There are a lot of details around the implementation that are not defined yet—for example, the ITMOs under article 6 of the Paris Agreement—
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
I can't speak to the ITMOs. I don't have a lot of time.
You talked about ITMOs, and those are of great interest to me. Could you very quickly flesh out what opportunities Canada has, the low-hanging fruit on ITMOs, that we may be able to take advantage of?
4:05 p.m.
Representative, Canadian Council on Renewable Electricity
Canadian renewable electricity companies are succeeding around the world already, and ITMOs provide a framework that the federal government could use to engage and support those technology providers, financiers, engineers and others to do more business globally.
4:05 p.m.
Mr. John Aldag (Cloverdale—Langley City, Lib.)
Mr. Stetski, we'll go over to you.
4:05 p.m.
Wayne Stetski Kootenay—Columbia, NDP
Thank you.
Thank you for being with us today.
I have a question for the Canadian Council on Renewable Electricity. I know you are looking mostly at electricity, but have you also looked at the impact of building new crude oil pipelines on the potential of meeting our climate change targets?
4:05 p.m.
Kootenay—Columbia, NDP
For the Center for Clean Air Policy, I'm always interested in the concept of buying carbon offsets. I'm just wondering if you've seen any examples.
Perhaps I can ask the Canadian Council on Renewable Electricity about that as well. Have you thought of working examples of buying carbon offsets that made a difference for clean air? Are you aware of any?
4:05 p.m.
Director, International Policy Analysis, Center for Clean Air Policy
Carbon offsets don't necessarily make a difference for clean air, because clean air will be driven by pollutants other than CO2 itself, so it depends on what the project is.
The Center for Clean Air Policy was originally established to advise governors on the SO2 emissions trading system established in the United States over 30 years ago, and that was why it was called the Center for Clean Air Policy. Now we focus on—
4:10 p.m.
Kootenay—Columbia, NDP
There are no investments you are aware of, then, but there are benefits.
4:10 p.m.
Director, International Policy Analysis, Center for Clean Air Policy
There are many examples of carbon offsetting projects that will reduce emissions.
4:10 p.m.
Director, International Policy Analysis, Center for Clean Air Policy
I'm trying to think of a project off the top of my head. Basically, whenever you replace an activity that produces CO2 but also has other pollutants.... If you were to replace, say, a coal-fired electricity plant with a renewable energy production plant, you would probably not only reduce CO2 emissions but also significantly improve air quality. There are numerous examples. I would say that in many cases you would probably get that co-benefit, but it's a co-benefit that's targeted when you're dealing with carbon trading, not a direct benefit.
4:10 p.m.
Kootenay—Columbia, NDP
Canadian Council, are there any particularly effective ways that you've seen?
4:10 p.m.
Director, International Policy Analysis, Center for Clean Air Policy
Under the Specified Gas Emitters Regulation in Alberta, there are several examples of renewable electricity projects contracted both through merchant power revenues and through offsets with large emitters.